The Most Valuable Productivity Tool Ever

During my recent vacation, while setting up my Evo smartphone's WiFi hotspot so I could connect my MacBook to the Internet, I asked myself: "What is my most valuable workplace productivity tool?" It is not my smartphone or laptop. It's my paper notebook.

Why?

1. As I go through my day, it is my small paper notebook that I refer to more than anything. It's easy to always have by my side.

2. When I need to capture ideas, my notebook is always on and ready. It needs no batteries or charging -- or even activation.

3. When I need to review prior recorded thoughts, it never lets me down. The pages never crash and they are easy to thumb through and scan.

4. My notebook enables me to record thoughts faster than can I type them on a keyboard.

6. My notebook does just one thing -- capture ink -- and that focus results in great productivity.

7. With my notebook, I can easily rip out a page and leave it behind, or give it to someone else. That tactile nature is more soulful and impacting.

8. My notebook, by definition, requires handwriting. "Writing it down" is a conscious act that results in deeper cognition and memory (at least for me).

9. My notebook archives are more likely to be read by me and made sense of than my own email archives, or other digital message archives. It's even enjoyable to flip through old notes.

10. Embracing a notebook in a meeting commands attention and suggests focus and importance, while the presence of a digital device suggests distraction and disrespect.

11. I can spill a drink on my notebook and it will look ugly, but it will still dry out and work well. That's why I often take my notebook to places like the beach or my boat -- unlike my smartphone or laptop.

12. A paper notebook model today work equally well 10 years from now -- it won't become outdated.

13. If I want, I can scan my notes into digital archives pretty easily.

For a look at the tools filmmakers use in the field, check the blog at http://reelgrok.com/producerscut/?p=161. While low tech items ranged from paper to brains, the list quickly grew much more interesting. bit.ly/ddWyWk

As I finish reviewing and responding to emails and get ready to head to the beach, I couldn't agree more. Yes, my notebook and Papermate are in tow for some planning and creative RxR under the sun. Thanks for grounding us all!

Crazy. I had a conversation about this with some co-workers only two or three days ago. Specifically, we were all using the same type of notepad from the company's supply closet, and we somehow came into discussion of what to do when we fill the notepad entirely. Do we tear out individual sheets when they are filled? Do we dog-ear the corners, or use other corner markings? Do we write on both sides, or just one side? And where do we store filled up notepads?

Our answers varied, and were in a few ways tied to our individual preferences for personal organization. But altogether we agreed the notepad was ideal for consuming the most spontaneous pieces of information.

One of the best User Experience summaries I've seen in a long while - it encompasses more than just the interface and takes into account the context of use etc. And to date, despite our collective love of all things tech, there's a reason why the notion of a paperless office remains a fantastical delusion so many years after we started talking about it.